FEATURE

Record-Breaking

Oracle’s San Francisco conferences have come and gone for 2013. But for the 60,000 people from 145 countries who attended and the 2.1 million people who followed the conferences online—a new attendance record—the experience, information, and contacts made were investments in the future.

Like past conferences, this year’s gathering of business and technology professionals was the place to learn about the latest in technology and trends as well as to network with Oracle experts, partners, and customers. The conferences featured 2,555 sessions, 3,599 speakers, 500 partner and customer exhibits, 408 demos, and a wide variety of hands-on labs and meetups.

Hot technology topics included big data and analytics, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things, to name a few. In his opening keynote, Oracle CEO Larry Ellison introduced three Oracle breakthroughs, which were on view at the Engineered Systems Showcase and DEMOgrounds: Oracle Database In-Memory option to Oracle Database 12c, which delivers queries that are 100 times faster for real-time analytics as well as doubling transaction processing rates; the SPARC M6-32 server, with 32 terabytes of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) and double the number of cores of Oracle’s previous-generation SPARC M5 servers; and Oracle Database Backup Logging Recovery Appliance, which delivers data protection for near-zero data loss.

As in years past, conferencegoers attended JavaOne; MySQL Connect; and/or Oracle OpenWorld, which included two special programs, Oracle PartnerNetwork Exchange @ OpenWorld for partners, and Leaders Circle @ OpenWorld for partner and customer executives. HCM @ OpenWorld, Cloud @ OpenWorld, and CX @ OpenWorld were among special focus areas at this year’s conference as well.

Attendees watched live coverage of keynotes and sessions through Oracle OpenWorld Live, a news and information show that was available on oracle.com and broadcast onsite. This year Oracle OpenWorld Live programming featured 32 segments with customers, partners, and luminaries.

The conferences also offered new attractions for fun and relaxation, including two bocce ball courts, a make-your-own-cupcake bar, and wine tasting, in addition to the always popular Oracle Appreciation Event on Treasure Island, which featured music by Maroon 5 and The Black Keys.

Some of the most significant record-setting events during conference week were not at the conferences but on San Francisco Bay. After being down eight races to one in the 34th America’s Cup competition, ORACLE TEAM USA won eight consecutive races to win the cup, setting a record for the greatest comeback in the history of the 162-year event. What better way to finish off an exceptional week?